Health Canada’s in-house research shows the country’s healthcare system has deteriorated so badly people consider it frightening. According to the federal report, obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, Canadians fear that if they or their loved ones were in a position where they needed life-saving treatment, the medicare system would not be able to provide it. The research, contracted by Health Canada to Earnscliffe Strategy Group at a taxpayers’ cost of $198,951, was conducted through 12 focus groups and nation-wide questionnaires with 3,068 responses. Researchers had discussion groups “begin with a general question about the state of the healthcare system today” and found Canadians are worried about excessive delays in treatment. “Participants fairly consistently indicated having great concerns or rather fears about access to services and delays in tests or treatment,” states the Baseline Assessment Of Canadians’ Health Data Literacy And Values Related To Health Data Sharing Research Report. “Across all groups, participants were fairly consistent in expressing concerns about the current state of the system,” wrote researchers. “While the actual care received rarely tended to be a source of concern or criticism, most participants wanted to raise their concerns and fears about access to services and delays in tests or treatments.”“Access to services was certainly more acutely felt among those living in rural and northern communities,” they wrote. Canadians said medicare seemed adequate only once patients had successfully navigated queues, wait lists and quotas. “There were many who offered that once you get into being treated, the way care is provided seems quite modern,” wrote researchers. “Challenges such as sufficient funding and attraction and retention of health care professionals often seemed more pressing issues,” wrote researchers. “Many offered that once you get into being treated the care seems quite modern.”“When forced to choose between describing the system as modern or outdated, participants were often torn and often sought to qualify their answer no matter which option they chose,” said the report. “Some noted feeling it was an impossible choice because there are some elements of the health care system they see as being quite modern, e.g. treatments and abilities and other things they see as being outdated, e.g. a system that has not kept up with demands.”Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal administration said in 2023 it would spend $198.6 billion on Medicare over ten years. A June 2023 statement from Health Canada acknowledged the system faced disastrous shortages of doctors and nurses that would “get worse.”“The shortage is expected to get worse,” said the memo, called Health Workforce Crisis. “The workforce could see a 16% loss in the nursing profession within the next year.”“Canada’s health system is experiencing an unprecedented health workforce crisis,” said the document. “High patient workloads, lack of resources, mandatory overtime and fear for personal safety have led to high levels of burnout, absences and turnover. The impacts reverberate across all areas of the health system including the closure of emergency rooms.”
